Life in District Two
by TonyaStark94
Summary: Has anyone ever wondered what Gale's life was like after the rebellion? Follow along with April, Gale's oldest daughter, who is too naive to the real world. She believes she is "in love" with her friend but when it comes to a job that takes up her time and she's torn between time and him. Besides being torn between that, something is brewing in district two's underbelly...
1. Hit and Miss

Chapter one: Hit and Miss

Sirens. Two of them. A train whistle that keeps constantly blaring to warn people it's coming through. My dad is probably there at the train station getting ready to come home. He works in the weapons department. Some sort of designer or specialist. Built a new bomb that they used back in the rebellion war, killed dozens of people but some were innocent. My father never forgave himself of the young children's lives he took, especially the one medic Prim. I never understood why though and when I asked my mother would always hush me or give me a look and my father would say it's too complicated. Then when I suggest quitting his job he shakes his head and says, "It's better than being a miner.". That's right he used to work in the pits of coal mines, in the belly of the earth. I look to the other side of the room where my sister sleeps numbly through a hovercraft going over the house.

It's eleven at night in district two, everyone should be asleep except my mother is waiting for my fathers arrival listening to some sort of music that has a twang to it. After drowning out her horrible music, which doesn't take much, there's finally silence. I snuggle down into the silky blue sheets of my bed and force my eyes shut. It's not even five minutes later when my father trudges through the door with his steel toed boots leaving a thunking sound where ever he walked. He's whistling as usual. There had been a time when he never whistled when he came home but ever since he found out that mother was pregnant again with a boy he's been whistling ever since. It's been six years since Nathan was born and yet my father continues to whistle with excitement. "Dinner's in the fridge." I hear my mothers muffled voice speak. I hear my father go into the kitchen and rummage through it. More whistling. I cover up my head with my blanket hoping it would drown out the sound of mother and fathers conversation. It didn't. "You're knitting? Since when do you knit?" My father scoffs clearly talking with his mouth open. He had poor table manners, he would usually stuff his face with food as if he hadn't had enough. But my father used to live poor and barely eat anything so I guess he eats what he can get and tries to fill up the void in his stomach for the tireless nights in which he starved.

More thumping from outside my room in the hall. It's my dad again, headed towards the bathroom per usual. I hear a squeak of the facet and a spraying sound of water that was beading off a wall. A shower at eleven at night may seem weird to people but in this house it's normal. Dad almost always comes home late the first two weeks of the month. That's when his "projects" are due at the train station and it takes the train at least forty five minutes to get from district four to district two. I flop over on my stomach and burry my face onto my mattress instead of my pillows. Maybe this should help me get to sleep. No dice. I end up staring at the lilac colored wall wondering about the most insane things like what if the earth ripped open right now, or if someone just came inside and started shooting us. Shootings are common in district two but, they rarely happen over in this neighborhood although it's always nice to be cautious. You would've thought that after the rebellion that everyone would be nice to each other and hold hands and sing folk songs around a campfire but that undoubtedly was wrong. There still was obviously a government but, a more just one that doesn't require kids to go into the hunger games but, it has it's kinks. Such as people who were poor before the rebellion, were still poor and they couldn't understand why. Actually there's a difference in the poor. The one's that you can tell were poor before the rebellion and the one's who became poor after the rebellion. The poor people before the rebellion made themselves useful and actually tried to work to get to a better place like dad did. But the people who became poor because of the rebellion were mean and nasty. Wouldn't work for the minimum pay, always thought of themselves better than what they were and thought they deserved to be treated better because they used to have a mansion in the Capitol and blah blah blah.

About ten minutes later my father is hopping out of the shower and putting some clothes on along with the sound of another hovercraft going above overhead. A moment of silence passes after I hear my father leave the bathroom whistling but it doesn't last long. There's a tinkering sound in my room now along with a thumping. I look up to see my sisters lizard running throughout her tank. Thumping her snout up against the glass as if she could escape, then swerving her way over to her food dish which was completely empty. She was a fat lizard, father says that if he found a lizard her size in the woods when he was younger he wouldn't hesitate to eat it. Then again he did go hungry to provide for our aunt and uncles and grandma. Her lizard cast out a shadow against the wall along with scraping sounds from her talons against the glass. I've had about enough. I wrap myself in my sheets like a cocoon and stood up facing the white door and turn the golden handle.

I walk out into the living and my parents are watching something on the telescreen. "April, what are you still doing up?" My mother asks shocked. I walk past her and out the back door onto the enclosed patio. I shuffle my way over to a bamboo couch with some green, white, and pink floral patterned cushion on top of it. I flop myself down on my stomach on it and try to make myself as comfy as I can. "April?" My father calls from the window in the kitchen that is literally above the couch. I open my tired and frustrated eyes in irritation. "Too noisy. Can't sleep." Was all I could say. I hear him chuckle to himself. "Ok, miss survivalist." And he shuts the window leaving me with peace and quiet for once. I look out and see bright lights of bustling downtown district two shining and twinkling like stars. But over hear, out of what city we have there's actually stars that glow dimly across the midnight sky and accompany the moon with lighting the way of anyone who roamed the streets aimlessly at night. Taking care of them, letting them see what would be invisible without them. But it's the flashing lights of downtown that has me drawn to it. And slowly while watching the life of the city go on by me I finally drift off to sleep.

"April!" Someone shouts and I wake with a start, jumping up from the couch. No, wait. I look down and see that my mattress is underneath me and that my head was lying on a pillow before. Dad must've brought me in. I rub my face before looking to the door and seeing my mothers outline against the light from the hallway. It must still be early. "Have you seen your father's lunch pack?" She asks. I shake my head sleepily and groan while I rub my nose. "That's all I needed to know." She says satisfied then shuts the door. "Gale," She calls for my father from what seems to be the other side of the house. "Artie," I hear my father condescendingly call back. I smirk into my pillow my parents were so weird.

A couple hours later I'm up with the complete intention of faking that I'm totally happy and awake inside when really I'm tired and grumpy and just want to go back to sleep. I pull out my outfit for the day which is a dark blue tshirt, a grey long cardigan, some dark jeans, and hunting black boots my dad gave me as a gift this year since my old ones were getting holes in them. I pull my dark hair up in a messy bun and place a golden locket around my neck to remind me that I do in fact have a family who cares for me enough to pass it down to me. I stare at myself in the mirror for a while and pick out my imperfections. My upper lip is slightly bigger than my bottom lip, I'm beginning to have dark circles under my eyes from my sleepless nights, my freckles are starting to show up more prominently than before.

Why am I getting up at nine thirty in the morning on a Saturday, nonetheless, in June? There's a knocking at my door and my mother opens it. I can hear the cheesy smile in her voice as she greets, "Hi Nim!" Nim. That's the reason. The only one who understands how it is to have a weird family like mine. Only his is a lot bigger than mine. Four brothers, two sisters, and a cousin that all live in the same house just down the road. I walk out of the bathroom to see his sun tanned face and freckles spread perfectly across his face. His shaggy, strawberry blonde hair hangs just above his crystal clear brown eyes. He's wearing a white tank top underneath a red plaid flannel, with muddy light jeans, and muddy work boots, accompanied by a matching pair of dirty what used to be white gloves. "Hi, Mrs. Hawthorne and Miss Hawthorne." He greets both my mother and myself as he places his hands on his hips. Nim and I have been friends for I don't know how long, we met when we were thirteen and now we're growing up together. Can't you smell it? _Sniff_. I'm girl next door material. He was my first kiss as was I to him, we had it in the field behind my house and I remember how tingly it made my lips feel. His only means of persuasion was that Dipper and Alessandra were seen kissing behind the garbage at school and that he wanted to try it but he figured it'd be weird if he did it on some random girl rather than his best friend. I haven't viewed him the same way ever since then. Although I don't think he really cares for me in that way.

"Ready?" He asks me while handing me my bow from the closet. Yeah that's right I have a bow. Why? Because my father was a survivalist and I can be one too. Only I've never really caught on how to technically use this thing in the right form. My father took me out in the woods one day and tried to teach my how on squirrels and quails. All moving targets and I couldn't hit a darn thing. So I learned it my way which was to close my eyes, release the string and hope that it hits something, which ten percent of the time it does. I think Nim keeps me around for the company and for my oh so humorous quips I have about nature and how I secretly loathe it when in reality I sort of like it. My mother rolls her eyes at me when I accidentally clunk the black bow on the side of the kitchens entrance.

In a few short steps I'm out the doorway that Nim has held open for me with a polite, "After you.". Soon we're trekking through the tall wheat field to the woods from across the ways from my house. "Nice weather out today. I saw some deer cross the road into the woods while walking to your house. It'd be a nice meal given if you can shoot them." Nim teasingly nudged me then grabs an arrow from my quiver and starts swatting the wheat around us like he was chopping down jungle vines with a sword. It was fun until the arrow hit something that went THWAP against it. A pain filled yelp came from the object that had been hit with it then, up pops the tailors son Jaxon rubbing his lower back where Nim had hit him. Jaxon was more or less annoying and weaker than I was, a shallow weasel that could get an unsuspecting girls number in a heart beat. All he had to do was flash that dazzling smile of his and they'd be hooked. I only say this because I was once hooked by Jaxon's clever routine.

"Watch what you're doing, lumberjack." Jaxon hisses towards Nim who just sits there with an angry frown placed upon his face, he held the arrow behind his head with both his arms draped over either side of the arrow slightly bending it. Nim's not usually the type to get upset with people, no. That's my job. "What are you doing over here you overgrown weasel?" I ask annoyed that he was over on Nim and I's turf. A girl pops up beside him. Little Pansy Parker with her snooty red hair and pointed nose, not so innocent anymore now are we? "Of course. Off my property or I'll mistake you as a deer and shoot you." Jaxon dryly laughs. "You can't shoot anything, miss 'sharp shooter'." Nim points the arrow directly in front of Jaxon's nose who in turn squeaks and moves back a bit. "Who says I can't?" Nim says almost deadly. Jaxon merely chuckles lowly and shoves the tip of the arrow away from his face. "Because my father is more powerful than your mother," He points out and Nim let's out a low grumble of disapproval. "And you," He lowers his gaze on me. "With as powerful as your father and mother are and how skilled your father was with a bow, I thought you'd be more classy and skilled, Miss Hawthorne." Jaxon says in an uptight voice.

He grabs ahold of tiny Pansy's hand and leads her back towards the dirt road. "He's got a lot of nerve." Nim says as he stares at the two making their way down the road, Pansy holding practically most of her top in her arms against her chest for warmth. "She's kind of cute. Don't know what she sees in a guy like that." Nim goes back swatting the wheat like he has a sword as a pang of jealousy hits me straight in the chest and could probably be seen on my face. Nim had always been my go to guy and one of my best friends, surly he can't be serious. Someone, as prissy as Jaxon? Well I did fall for Jaxon so maybe it's possible that he's developed feelings for her.

I trudge through the end of the wheat field where the woods begin. At first there's no signs of life, she a few birds in the trees but as we venture further into the heart of forest there's life springing from every inch. Green miss coating the trees and sharp jagged rocks, a tiny river running through the middle. That's where the hunting happens. Well at least that's where Nim's hunting happens and my quiet patient waiting skills are displayed. About twenty feet away from the river Nim stops me in my tracks completely and pulls me behind a pine tree. "What?" I whisper angrily towards him.

He places his fingers to his lips and points straight ahead of us to a tree. I look closely at it and realize there's a damn possum hanging from one of the branches. I roll my eyes almost as if I'm scoffing at his target. He sees this and shoves the bow at me which sends me staggering off balance. He points to me then to the possum. He wants me to shoot it. "What! No way!" I whisper angrily towards him. He gives me a stern look and then points to me and then back to the possum. I cross my arms and shake my head while shutting my eyes. I open them to see a frustrated almost bored look on Nim's face, he gestures with his eyes over to the possum. I throw my head back in a whining fashion and then trudge my way where I can get a straight shot at him.

I go back to grab an arrow from my quiver but none are there. In fact I can't really feel my quiver at all actually. I spin around in a circle trying to find one probably drawing the attention of any predator in the woods as helpless and defenseless. A pair of strong arms stop me and I realize Nim has stopped me from twirling. He reaches to my back and brings an arrow in front of my face. "Shoot." He mouths and steps back a bit. I grumble as I put the arrow in it's correct spot and draw it backwards. Nim holds up a hand as if to stop me and then closes the distance in between us. He pushes down on my elbow, props up my hand that's supporting the bow, and moves my shoulder backwards then stares at my form. Not my hands the most but something with my torso. One arm is folded the other propped up on it so his hand could cover his mouth. "Shoot." He says shrugging his shoulders. I stare at the possum innocently hanging upside down from the tree unsuspecting anything. My hands start trembling and shaking as the pressure sets in. If I shoot this I can take it home as a trophy and maybe Nim will say I'm kind of cute. If not I'll be the laughing stock of my family and I won't get Nim.

I notice Nim is closing the distance between us again only this time he gives me a concerned look. He settles my arms back down by my side and takes the bow with the strung arrow in it out of my hands and into his. Without even thinking he draws back and sends the arrow flying, hitting the possum square in the middle of it's back and pinning it to the tree. My shoulders slump a little bit as I watch this happen, then I feel his huge hand on my shoulder. "You'll do better next time." He encourages me with a small smile. I give a half hearted smile back. He turns to look at his prize hanging from the tree and places his hands on his hips. "You skin it and I'll let you tell your dad you shot it again?" He suggests almost with a hint of teasing in his voice as he stuck out his right hand. "Deal." I say as I grip his large hand in confirmation.


	2. Don't Let Me Go

Chapter Two: Don't Let Me Go

A few hours later in the afternoon by the river I'm done gutting and skinning this poor possum, and two more poor rabbits that were stupid enough to get in Nim's way. "How am I going to shoot a deer without your help?" He asks me while sharpening the end of a stick that he found on the ground with a rather large knife. "You know you should be glad I'm here." I beckon back to him with a small smile. I see him perk an eyebrow and lean towards me. "Oh yeah? Why's that?" He eggs on in a condescending voice. I grab the last skinned rabbit in my hand and crack the rib cage making a sickening crunching noise that makes Nim gag and cover his ears. "Because you can't gut worth shit." I say picking and scraping out the lungs and heart, I toss those into the river. "You know that stuff makes me sick." He shouts turning his back towards me. I roll my eyes and grab all his game in one hand and navigate my way to him, jumping from rock to rock being sure not to step in water.

I tap on his shoulder with a semi clean hand and ask for the game bag which he hands to me without looking in my direction. A hunter who can hut but can't skin? He's no better than me not shooting...ok well maybe a little. I shove each carcass into the bag and tighten up the loop hole that my father has devised for it. "You're clear." I mention as I toss the sack into his lap before going to the river and washing my hands clear of blood. The cool water made my hands numb as I scraped under my nails trying to get as much out as possible. I could feel his presence lurking behind me, that and I could see his reflection in the stream. "Your family was from district ten, how would you survive if you lived there now." I scold him and he rolls his eyes.

"Your family lived in district twelve, how would you survive there if you couldn't hunt?" He retorts and I stare at the trees in front of me before letting the comment go. "I wouldn't be here. Dad would be with that Katniss Everdeen girl instead of with mom." I explain, twitching at the sound of her name. It had never sounded appealing to me and I was glad that she broke my father's heart and went for the baker Peeta while leaving my father in the dark. I stand up and poke Nim's crooked nose and standing closer than usual. "So you should be happy I'm even here." I say before going to the willow where he was sitting under and trying to climb it.

"Would you get down from there? You're gonna hurt yourself and I'm going to have to drag you home." Nim cautions me from below on his rock, staring above at me. I rest my legs on the side of a beach and lean the rest of my body down hanging like a monkey. "Hey look I'm a possum, aren't you gonna shoot me?" I tease him while tucking my shirt into my pants so my stomach won't show. "I'm seriously thinking about it." He put a hand to his hip and threw the game bag over his shoulder. "Aww you wouldn't know what to do without me." I pretend to pout as I cross my arms still upside down. Nim looks above me and his face turns grim. "April, don't move." He says slowly. Automatically I start to freak out in my mind. "It's a cougar isn't it?" I squeeze my eyes shut and place my hands over my mouth as if to slow down my breathing. "I'm coming up." Nim says cautiously and throws himself up over the branch and slowly works his way up to where he could look at me face to face.

Fear over took my body, I was breathing hard, my body trembled as I looked into his deep brown eyes. "A-are you gonna shoot him?" I whisper terrified. "No because there's nothing there." He retorts and relaxes into a smile. "What!" I yell and flail around to see if there was anything in the tree with me only to see nothing. "Why would you do that?" I yell at him still swinging around from flailing. He heartily chuckles and stops me from moving. We stare at each other in silence for a little bit before he brushes my cheek lightly. "Hold still." He orders me and instinctively I ask where the threat is it. "There's nothing," He reassures me. "Trust me. Just hold still." He orders me again as my nerves calm.

Again he strokes my cheek and pushes what of my hair is still clinging to me away from my face. Oh my gosh it's happening. I want to almost squeal in excitement and grab him by the neck and pull him into a kiss but I have to see if that's what he's doing first. He leans in, the tip of his nose touching mine, eyes starting to close. Yep, he's totally going to kiss me and I'm going to get what I've been wanting all these years. I slowly start to lean towards him with my eyes shut all the way until something stops me. I drop a couple of inches so now my eyes are at his neckline and he's about to kiss my neck. "Uh Nim," I say quietly.I drop another inch and instinctively I grab onto Nim's forearms. "Nim." I say in a more alarming tone. This snaps him out of it but I'm gradually slipping at an alarming rate. "Nim!" I shout as I'm almost to my ankles. "Hold on!" He grabs my torso and tried to haul me in but it doesn't work. I conk my head up against the branch so hard that I see stars. Nim has me by the calves and is trying to hoist me up but I'm afraid I'm dead weight but I can't do anything but look at the sharp rocks that are facing me below. If I fall I die. "Gotcha!" A pair of hands grab me by the waist and haul me in towards the branch.

They weren't Nim's hands that pulled me in they were slightly smaller. "Thank you," I say to my savior as I brush down my pants. I look up to see the face of my hero. "Dad?" I question as I see my father's worried yet thankful expression on his face. "Are you ok?" He wonders while pulling me into a bear hug and almost squeezing what life I had left after dangling from that branch. "Fine, fine, a little light headed but fine. What are you doing out here?" I ask while I pull back from the hug. "Your mother said you'd be out here. Lucky for you it was easy to find you with that horrific trail you left behind you. What were you doing acting as if you hacking down vines in the jungle?" He questions me with his hands on his hips just as Nim hops down from the branch above. I narrow my eyes at my best friend then back to my dad. "That's exactly what I was doing with my arrow, pretending it was a machete and chopping down greens. It'll never happen again." I cover for Nim who gives me an apologetic smile in return of the favor.

"And you," My father turns around to Nim who looks taken back by his sudden scolding. "If you ever try to kiss my daughter like that again I'll shoot you from ten miles away. Understand?" He makes his point by waving a finger in front of his face. "How did-" Nim went to question him but my dad simply points to the tree over the right of us. My dad had always been the greatest hunter and tracker I know and so does everyone in district two. Nim's face grew bright red with embarrassment and he held his hands up defensively. "S-sir you've got it all wrong. I was just trying to whisper something in her ear." Nim vouches for himself. Instantly my heart cracks into a million itty bitty pieces. I thought that was what he was trying to do but it turns out I had been wrong. My face drops and I look to the rock below me. I wonder how bad it'd hurt if I fell on top of them? I decide that's too low for me and just shove my feelings into the back of my head and push forward the fake feelings.

I bite my bottom lip so the quiver I can feel coming up in my voice stops. I clear my throat at the boys staring contest and draw their attention. "Maybe we should all go home?" I suggest with a shrug and look down to the branch. My father places his hands on his hips again knowing there was something wrong then glares at Nim again. "I'm gonna be hunting some more. Take your game and head home." He instructs me and I nod before climbing down. "Mimi," My father beckons me when I'm on the ground and just starting to walk away. I hated that nickname. It had been a word I used when I was little so it became somewhat of a nickname for me from my parents. I turn around and glare up into the tree at the branch my father is in. "What'd you catch today?" He asks.

_Shit_. I want to say nothing but then he'll give me the disappointment speech later along with what district twelve was like before the rebellion. "A possum." Nim speaks up for me looking back at my father. "She skinned it and everything." My father rubs his chin at Nim's unsuspecting quip and squats down. "That's my girl," He smiles down at me. Already I begin feeling guilty. "Alright take it to your mother, I'll bring some things that'll go with it and we'll have it for dinner tonight." He says then raises from squatting. "Get her home safe, Nim." He orders him and gives a little salut before climbing down and trudging through the stream the opposite way of us.

It's a silent walk home since I didn't have anything to talk about that was either silly or important. I didn't want address the somewhat kiss we had earlier because what if he wasn't kidding and said he was just going to whisper. I walk back to his house first so he can drop off his game in the freezer. I'm instantly greeted by Apple, his loving and wise mother, who is carrying around a hurt Buck who skinned his knee on the dirt road. We go out the back white door which creaks when it opens and head towards what a small barn would appear to be.

Inside helping Grace feed a cow is the one and only, beautiful, Barley. Her lightly tanned skin went well with her freckles and pale brunette hair with gorgeous green eyes. She was about a year older than me and always helped Apple out around the house since it's mostly filled with people. She flashes a dazzling white smile towards Nim. "Hey Nim," Barley greets flirtatiously with a cute giggle at the end. She stood up and showed her long lanky, tan, legs in shorts with a grey plaid shirt and a tan cowboy hat complete with cowboy boots. "Did'ya have fun huntin' n' all?" She asks playing with her hair and biting her bottom lip. "Sure did. Got two rabbits and a possum. But the possum's going to Miss Hawthorne over here who invited me to to go along with her even though I damn near killed her today." He explains while opening the bag and placing the raw rabbits in a freezer.

"Well shit sugah are you alright?" She asks me while gripping onto my arm for good convincing measure even though I'm sure she'd love it if I had died today. "I'm fine." I say shortly towards he and she let's go of my arm. Who better than to walk in at a time like this than Nim's year younger brother, Nod. They literally look identical, only Nod has a little ball at the end of his nose and blue eyes and a slightly less bulky build. "What'd you bring us for dinner tonight, captain?" Nod asks saluting mockingly towards Nim. "Fend for yourself." Nim replies with an edge to his voice then walks out. Nod looks at me as if to say what he did wrong but I shrugged while looking into his light blue eyes. Yes, yes, Nod of course was age but I tend to like Nim a little more because well Nim's kinda like me and you all that junk I said earlier.

But it's not like the two weren't the swoon worthy brothers that ruled the school. I quickly followed the large strides that Nim took to the side of his house heaving Nod and Barley behind in the barn. He washed his hands of all the raw blood that was on the skinned animals from the hose that lead deep beneath to the water supply looking sourly to the ground. For some odd reason Nim got this way when Nod wanted to converse with us, he won't even take Nod hunting with us when he asks. Seeing Nod must've put him in a bad mood. "I, uh, best be going." I say as I take my game bag that he had plopped on the ground.

He wipes his hands off on his plaid shirt and sticks up his hand for a high five. I immediately smack it and he closes his hand around it and pulls me into a tight hug. I have only received a hug everyone once in a while from Nim so I cherish and relish in the moment. "I thought I was going to drop you today." He says leaning his chin on the top of my head. I smile into his chest at the thought I had him worry about me. "No more climbing trees unless it's necessary." He scolds me as he pushes me away to clamp his big hands on my shoulders and look at me in the eyes. "Can't loose my best friend. Understand?" He continues to drill me on the subject the whole walk back to my house until it's time to say goodbye. In the house I hand my mother my game bag and say that dad wants her to do something with it for dinner. Right away she gets up and starts clamoring around in the kitchen while Nathan plays with some kind of car he got on the coffee table.

I go out the back slider and sit on the couch as I watch the sunset trying to procrastinate so my mother wouldn't call me in to help her out with cooking. She wasn't a great cook herself but I was worse that her and that's saying a lot. Around six in my room I hear my father clunk in with his hunting boots. Not as heavy sounding as his work boots but still making a thudding sound whenever he walked. The aroma of my mothers stew wofts into my room as my father opens it to announce that it's dinner time.

I sit myself down at my usual spot at the dining room table and watch as my mother brings out some type of stew with the possum in it. It looks disgusting but it tastes good. I look across the table at the empty spot where my sister, Natalie, is supposed to sit. "Where's Nat?" I ask while scarfing down a bite of meat. "At Nycole's. The usual." My mother waves her hand in front of her face as if it's not big deal. My father blankly stares at me from the end of the table, slurping up what he can get. "Did you meet up with your father today?" She asks me and I stare at my father in panic knowing that if she found out that we had met up when I almost died today she'd freak out.

"Uh..." Was all I could spit out before my father interrupted me. "I caught up with her just as her and Nim were leaving the woods. Said that Nim needed to be home around that time to babysit while his mother went to the store. She caught the possum today that we're eating." My father saves me from a lecture she'd give us both. Mine about my recklessness and his about his timing. I give my father a thankful nod and he replies with the same one. "You know, April," My mother addresses me probably about the meal Nim caught for me but I took credit for today. "You're almost eighteen, which means you'll be able to apply for a job now." Oh no, she's not going to suck the money out of me now is she?

I've always hated the idea of waiting until you're eighteen to get a job, it's like **bam** you get one and you're parents are asking you to leave without getting your feet under you. "We've been talking," My father speaks up now and gestures between mom and himself. "That you could take a nice paying job at the factory that I design things from. But I want you to go in early as an internship, you'd be my shadow." An intern at a bomb and weapons factory? You're kidding right? It just reeks if bad potential and failing every task. "Why do I have to get a job right away? Nim doesn't have one." I point out almost wanting to throw a fit. "Nim also doesn't have a father who practically runs the best business in town." My dad replies.

That was a low blow. Nim doesn't even have a dad anymore, he died about four years ago from an unknown illness. Of course I knew him and what he did as a livestock dealer in two. But ever since he passed it seems that the animals noticed and died off, the only surviving animals is the cow, two horses, and a few chickens. Not much to live from yet the business was to be handed down to Nim but he doesn't know a darn thing about dealing with people professionally to try to be dealing the livestock. Plus he has no livestock left. "Is my job going to be hard to do?" I ask thinking about how I, even though he's my best friend, didn't want to end up like Nim. "You'd follow me around and then when you got comfortable I'd let someone start training you on a job you'd probably end up doing." Dad takes a gulp of milk then stares down at me.

"I know it's not the thing you want to do right now but think about it." He stands up and takes his dishes to the kitchen where I hear the clatter as he drops them in the sink. "I'll do it." I announce as he walks out of the kitchen and I get up from the table to put my dishes away. "Great," He smirks as I enter the kitchen and place my dishes in the sink too. "You start next Monday. We leave at seven so be up by six, I'll get you a uniform tomorrow." He informs me with his hands on his hips and an accomplished look across his face. I simply nod and head towards my room, grabbing a container of crickets and feeding my sisters lizard at least ten since I didn't feed her this morning.

Natalie would be so mad if she found out I forgot about her pet but it is her pet and she always asks me to feed it and water it so I kinda consider it mine over hers. After her lizard is done munching on the crickets I take it by it's rough sides and place it on my chest and rub it down it's spine. "What am I going to do, Hera?" I ask the lizard who doesn't do anything in response besides close it's eyes and fall asleep on me. What am I going to tell Nim? What's going to happen between my father and myself? I guess I'll just have to find out for myself.


	3. April Confused

"You're doing what?" Nim asks me gruffly as he loads grain from his mothers old vehicle into the red, almost busted down, barn. I try walk at a fast pace beside him as he travels towards the barn with two large, white bags in his arms. I can tell they're straining him because his usual bulky arms, are now contorted with a couple of veins popping out "I'm interning at my dad's work." I clear my throat and repeat myself a little louder this time as we near the barn. He drops both of the bags on the ground as soon as he enters the wide open doors, then turns to me as he takes his dirty gloves off and stuffs him in what seem to be the same jeans he wore yesterday with a few more added stains to them. "So you're working at the bomb warehouse. Sounds completely safe to me." He says sarcastically as he rubs the palms of his hands in a massaging manner then rolls his eyes and starts to walk back to the car.

I take the insult lightly knowing that he's being a good friend and protecting me, especially after a situation like yesterday. I instinctively look up towards him with complete and udder sincerity in my eyes. "I know but, at least I can start working there when my birthday comes around and I can put in a good word for you." I say following behind him taking at least two steps for every stride he takes. He seems to take this as an insult and jerks as I let the words roll of my tongue. "April, I don't need your help getting a job." Nim says turning around and facing me. He never needs "help" with anything from me. I don't know whether that's being a good friend or just being plain stubborn. "I'm completely fine just sitting here and doing livestock like my dad." He points to the tattered barn in anger.

I look back to his cow munching on some dry hay slowly then lift it's head and moos in our direction. I want to laugh but I know it'd make Nim furious with me and he probably wouldn't talk to me for a few days. I turn my head back to see the disappointment in Nim's eyes and his bottom lip almost pop out in a pout as he watched his only cow moo at us. He sighs as his head and shoulders slump just enough to tell me that he's distressed and disappointed about the livestock situation and then his face is lightened with sheer pain. "Dad would've known what to do." He says after a while and straightens himself back up to stare down at me.

Again with the father thing, Nim's dad died of an unknown disease when he was fourteen and left Nim in charge of holding the house down with his mother, who is usually strong and independent, in shambles, and the rest of his siblings unknowing what to do. I guess you can say he and Nod were BOTH left in charge since Nim didn't know everything his father taught him but, Nod followed his father everywhere.

Feeling bad, I place my hand on the side of his upper arm and give him a small smile. He returns his gaze towards me and tries to smile a bit but it doesn't last long. A creak of the front door opens and out comes Nod again coming to get another load of groceries that his mother and little brother spent all morning getting. "Nod, can you get the rest?" He beckons towards his younger brother who I now notice is wearing a similar plaid shirt to what Nim was wearing yesterday only green. "The rest? You mean the bread?" Nod gives Nim an almost painfully sarcastic look then rolls his eyes then pushes through to the car to get to the loaf of bread. He shuts the trunk with a squeak and the jogs inside.

Nim's large hand latches itself on to my tiny hand and starts pulling me behind him into the wheat field behind his house. I smile to myself as he drags me to who knows where. Two days in a row Nim has basically held my hand, I must be getting to him romantically which means score! I knew I'd be girl next door material! As he weaves us on a maze throughout the wheat field I can feel my hand become sweaty and slipping out of his. No god dammit! I try to grip it harder but it only makes my hand slip out faster. I'm going to miss my chances on holding his hand. Just as my fingers are going to slip through he stops and I take advantage of that time to readjust my hand in his.

He keeps looking out towards downtown even when I step closer and squeeze his hand tight meaning, take the hint you stupid animal. "I think this should be good." He mutters out. Wait really? Is he talking about me holding his hand or does he mean something else between us? Nim eases his body to the ground and sits down then looks up towards me since I was still standing. A small hint of a smile creeps on his face which is sweaty and dirty from the day of work he just had. He reaches up and grabs my hand once more and pulls me down to the ground beside him leaving me flabbergasted and wondering what just hit me. "Nim!" I shout as I flip over to sit on my butt and wipe off the dirt that was now embedded in my light brown leggings.

He only laughs for a second then smiles at me. Not the wide goofy one he has on when he's planning to do something extremely stupid but, the adorable closed lip smile that could almost be a smirk. "What?" I ask cluelessly and perk an eyebrow up at him. I feel a light blush coming up on my face because he just keeps staring at me in some sort of trance. He stares at his shoes and silently chuckles to himself after a while making me look foolish for blushing. "You're going to be the only girl working there." He replies to my question still smiling.

I want to punch him in the shoulder but that would hurt me more than that would hurt him. Plus it's a lot of effort. "That's not true. Dad says there's a few girls that work there." I say defensively wanting to prove myself to the burly man. Scowling at the boy who just insulted me for no reason I hold my ground. Nim rolls his brown eyes and leans his upper body back then props himself up on his arms. "But how many of them are _girly girls_?" He questions me with a slight smart ass smirk.

I furrow my brows and open my mouth to protest his question but he stops me and says, "You are a girly girl, you just have some boyish features." He takes a small wheat stalk and begins to pry and fiddle with the top of it. "What the hell does that mean?" I ask sourly crossing my arms. I know I'm no tomboy like my mother was back in the day but hey I have a lot of boyish quirks more than I have girlish quirks...right? "It just means you're not fit to work with all those _guys_ in a _bomb_ factory, April." He shakes his head, his shaggy hair getting ruffled in the process. He looks in the direction of downtown where my new work is located and sighs to himself. "I worry about you sometimes." This he says softly almost inaudible but I pick up on it and smile laying down with my hands behind my head, looking up at the clouds.

I knew he was worried about me and my safety all this time. This gave me a high satisfaction that I almost feel completely bubbly and wound up with energy inside. "I'm still taking the job." I say while smiling knowing this would catch his attention. It successfully does. He leans down on his elbow next to me and gives me a stern look like he was my parent or something. I've seen this look many times before and it comes with no words just a feeling of judgement.

He couldn't tell me what to do and if he worries about me going to the bomb factory I'll continue to go just for that reason. I'll be on his mind constantly. Jesus maybe I am more of a girly girl than I thought. A stupid one at that. "Listen I'll make good money and I can spend it however I want. Whether it be just on me," Highly doubtful. "Or whether it be on you." Highly probable.

Nim gives me another a stern look telling me he doesn't want my free hand outs like usual then let's out a sigh of frustration and defeat as he flips over to look up at the clouds with me, his hands crossed on his chest. "Just try to be careful." He warns me after a while without talking. I look over to see his eyes shut now with a peaceful look on his face, his breathing is slow but steady. I turn my head back and look towards the now pink clouds as the sun sets. "I will." I say as I shut my eyes. I will.

"April, April wake up." It's my father shoving my shoulder and trying to rouse me up for today. He continues assaulting me by shaking me like I was some rag doll. Is it still considered shaken baby syndrome if you're seventeen? I flip and hit him square in the chest. "I'm. Up." I say irritatedly and look at the alarm clock. In big blue numbers it says 5:13. "I thought you said be up at six?" I ask groggily, rubbing my eyes in the process. "I've got to get you in the system early so we have to be there before seven. Come on. Feet on the floor." He instructs me using his commander voice that in sure he used on his troops during the rebellion. Lying sack of shit.

I groan in frustration and plant both feet off the side of my bed onto the wooden floor and glare up at him. "I'm. Up." I say once again, glaring into the stormy grey eyes of my father. I'm not a morning person when I don't get the pleasure of seeing Nim. He hands me a small, plastic, name tag that reads, "A. Hawthorne" on it. I look at the pin on name tag in question and then up to my father. "I won't be in the factory?" I question gesturing to his dark jacket and matching pants with work boots. An embroidered, "G. Hawthrone" is sewn into the jacket.

He plants his balled up fists on his hips as he stares down at me. "Oh you'll be in the factory," He nods his head in approval. Great, this must be some temporary name tag they give newbies or something. "Just up in the office, making phone calls and learning secretary things." He adds with a smart ass crooked smirk that he always gives people. What! I squeeze the plastic name tag in my hand in rage. That smirk annoys me so much that I almost growl at it when he flashes it.

"Your mother has something set out for you." He says almost satisfied that he got the reaction he wanted out of me then clunks out of the room in his steal toed boots. I shake the covers that were wrapped around me off to walk out and see that my mother has prepared me a lunch in a similar bag like my fathers. She stands near it with a pink garment while meekly smiling at me. Her droopy green eyes, and messy hair tells me that she's had a rough time sleeping. Probably from my fathers snoring and flopping. "For you." Is all she says as she hands me the fabric before she yawns into her elbow.

It's a pale pink dress that looks like it'll go to my knees. I perk up an eye brow in question as I feel up the material of the dress almost like cotton but a little too thin to be it. "It was your aunt Katherine's. She used to wear it all the time." Mother says drooping her head down and yawning again. Mom always talks about how much I look like aunt Katherine but how I never act like her. I've successfully lived a year older than my aunt Katherine. She died when she was sixteen during the rebellion. Sad story but, it'll be have to be told a different day.

I hike the dress over my head in the bathroom to find that it comes to my knees like predicted, a little bunched at the top and somewhat of puffy sleeves at my shoulders. I feel like a poor princess. I scoff at as I pull my hair up in a messy bun, being sure to leave a few strands loose from it. Again I clasp the locket around my neck like a comfort item then clip the name tag up on my upper chest. I shimmy on a pair of white tights and brown lace up boots before I go see my father who stares at me with a forced smile on. "Put a jacket on." He forces through gritted teeth and points towards where the jackets are. Like I didn't know where my jacket was. I roll my eyes as I head over there.

As soon as my jacket is on, he kisses my mother and grabs both of our lunches then pushes me out the door. The cold summer air takes me by surprise. I shiver and let out a sigh, watching a line of what looked like smoke come out of my mouth. A couple of other people, out of the few on the street, are walking in front of us. "Why aren't there any buses to work?" I shiver while looking up at him. He smiles to himself and shoves his hands in his pockets after stuffing his lunch in one of the pockets. "Because no buses go to the factory. We have to take the train." I sigh watching my breath leak out of me like smoke and glance back to my house then to the Evensen's where I can see their dog Lollie waiting patiently by the front door to be let in. At a closer look I can see a figure watching us walk down the road, no doubt it's Nim.

When we reach the train station we are surrounded by people in their uniforms on their way into work. Each works for the same company but each are in different sectors of the factory so they wear different colored uniforms. Tan, brown, grey, black, and blue but all the same jackets and pants. They almost look like onesies. A train comes screeching to a halt in front of dad and I then it opens it's metallic doors letting hundreds of people clamor in. The train is very crowded, and I'm forced to stand up with my father by my side.

My hands start sweating and I start to feel very clammy about being packed in a train full of dozens of people I don't know and having some stare at me because I'm a woman and I'm still young. I feel like I'm the only woman in the car but there's three other women I can see. Only a few people are talking in this car. I pick up on what they're talking about and it intrigues me. "Just a few people get to go." One of them says. "One person from each sector and of course the big boss gets to go. I would love to get a paid trip to see every district." He continues then fathoms about how luxurious it would be. "That one person will probably be the sector leaders, genius." One of his coworkers scoffs at his babbling. So would dad get to see all the districts?

I wonder to myself as I look up at my father stubbled face as he stares out the window across from us. I stumble a bit as the train slows down to an approaching station but dad catches me by the arm and holds me on balance. "Careful." He instructs me as the train comes to a complete stop. He spins me around to face the door as it squeaks open and leads me out and up a ramp that goes into the factory. We're checked for ID's when we enter and dad has to explain that I'm a new intern and I don't have one yet. The guard doesn't care and let's me in. The security sucks here if I didn't even get questioned. What if I was a terrorist?

A cluster of catcalls are made when I enter the factory and start to go through the assembly lines. These men are pigs. Some in their forties around dad's age probably married and they're making derogatory statements towards me. "Dad?" I almost whisper out as I nudge his arm as I step closer to him. "I know." He hisses out from beneath his breath irritated. He leads me up a narrow, rusty, ladder up to a boxed room that over looks the entire factory. He guides me over to a seat and tells me to stay put as he enters the back office.

I sit and look out the window as the men, and very few women, start working on their items. Some parts cause sparks to fly everywhere, another part of the factory you can hear loud, metallic, banging sounds. A symphony of madness if you will. A pudgy man with a bald spot in the middle of his head comes out from where dad went in. He's wearing a grey plaid looking suit with a bright yellow undershirt on.

"Miss Hawthorne!" He addresses me almost instantly cheerfully. He saunters his way over and shakes my hand over and over again as I stand up. "You're father mentioned that you were going to intern as a secretary here. I thought it was a good idea to have someone organize things around here since this factory is complete chaos. Of course I have some paper work here so you can learn the ways of a secretary. Sorry we don't have one to train you but I'm sure if you're as bright as your father you'll get the hang of it! Am I right Gale?" He literally drags me over to a wooden desk and plants me into a grey leather chair and plops a thick stack of paper in front of me.

I turn around and see that my father has peeled off the jacket of his uniform and is now wearing a black shirt that has strange symbols of the sleeves but still has his name embroidered over his chest. He's leaning on a door frame that lead him to the back room to find mister whatever for me. "She clever, I'll give her that." Dad teases me before strutting over towards me. "Be good, Jonathan will give you everything you need." He says giving me a simple squeeze on my shoulder before walking over to the door where we came in at. "If anything is wrong, give me a call. I'm in the developing department. Have fun, kiddo." He instructs me before he leaves shutting the door behind him.

I walk over and sit at the desk that Jonathan has supplied me and stare at the paperwork. Jonathan comes over and divides each stack into sections while instructing me what they are. Pink sheets are for employees who need to be written up, blue are for vacation requests, yellow are for shift exchanges, green are for leaving early, white is for medical notes and orange are for employees that are late. There's three full file cabinets that has all the files of every employee currently working at the factory than I need to pull out whenever the sheets are filled out. He then hands me a clip board with some sheets already on them and tells me to sign where ever it tells me to sign.

I have that done quickly and hand it back to him while he's overlooking his factory. "Here." He hands me a white apron and gestures for me to put it on. I look at it in question then back up to him with a "are you stupid or just really stupid" look on my face. I better not be feeding into his fetishes or serving food. "Just in case anyone gets hurt or sick. Don't want you to get messy." He supplies a smile then returns to his office.

I look out at the factory floor and watch as sparks fly and metal being dropped onto a conveyer belt. I return back to my desk and actually read the forms that employees must fill out. It's not too long before a man that looks a couple years older than Nim bursts through the door. He has blue eyes but he's a good several inches shorter than Nim, and less bulky than Nod but not skinny. His brown hair is somewhat shaggy and it matches the goatee that he's growing. He's simply charming to say the least in his tan uniform or if he was wearing street clothing. He reads the sign that Jonathan must've put up then walks up to the desk.

"Hi." He smiles down flirtatiously at me. "You must be the new girl everyone's talking about on the floor." He says while placing a hand down and leaning on the desk. I look at his uniform and it tells me he's where they chop the metal to create my father's crew's designs. It's where the sparks are flying. "R. Miller" is embroidered on his chest just like my fathers name. "I am. I'm the new secretary." I say almost coyly back towards him while picking at the sheets not even bothering to glance up at him. "Well, miss secretary I seem to be a bit...late." He informs me while making an apologetic face.

I look up at him returning the apologetic look. Slowly, I pull out an orange sheet and a pen and then look up at him. "What's your first and last name?" I ask. He clears his throat. "Raleigh Miller," He begins to spell out his name. Before I even get a chance to ask when his birthday was for the next question he interrupts me. "What's yours?" He asks. I stick my hand out for home to shake and he takes it to shake. "April Hawthorne." I reply. He let's out a little laugh. "Any relations to me hit head commander Hawthorne in developing?" He asks me almost sarcastically.

I stare up at him and give a meek smile as he tells me his birthdate and I scribble it down. He's twenty. "That's my dad." I answer him. "Wait then how old are you?" He asks almost surprised. "Seventeen." I say almost immediately. He makes an upset face and then rubs the back if his neck. "Hey can you not tell your dad I was planning on hitting on you? He already gives me enough crap." He wonders while crossing his arms. "You were hitting on me?" I ask a bit taken back. "No but, I'm about to." He leans back on the desk and smirks at me. "That's flattering and all but I'm three years younger. Doesn't that out you off?" I ask while I go to the filing cabinet and fish out his file. "A little but it's not that big of an age difference besides I just turned twenty last week and you obviously know that." He crosses his arms again and smirks.

I roll my eyes and make a funny face at him which he scoffs at. "Are you done with my paperwork yet?" He asks almost bored. I straighten out the papers in his file and put it away in the cabinet. "Now I am." I say folding my hands on my desk and smirking up at him. "Smart ass." He compliments and shakes his head with a smile. "See you around, doll." He says before exiting the same door my father does.

"Raleigh. A bit of a slacker, don't you think?" Jonathan's voice from behind me pipes up and scares me. He laughs at my jump in surprise and reaches for Raleigh's file from the cabinet then takes it possessively back into his office. He plops down another stack of papers in from of me, I look at them quizzically. "A new employee. This is the paperwork she needs to do. O have no time to instruct her right now, I have a conference call scheduled," He looks at his watch. "Now. Just go over things with them." He says hurriedly as I watch him take the file back in haste I wonder what's on Raleigh's file that has him in a tizzy.

I sit back down in the chair at the desk, re-checking the forms that I was supposed to read unwillingly. Instruct them? But it was only my first day too, and I don't even know what to do. What the hell have I gotten myself into? Not even two minutes pass when the door opens again, I don't move thinking it's Raleigh again. Boy was I wrong.

"Well hello, don't you look adorable in that outfit!" A girl a couple years older than myself clasps my cheeks in her hands as she comes up to the desk. "I would give anything to work in that outfit instead of this tragedy." She points out her blue uniform which means she part of the scrap team. It does look odd on her body. It looks too baggy, she looks skinny but a somewhat healthy skinny, with light blue eyes, and a strange hair cut that is boy short but her bangs pushed to one side reach her mid cheek with a curl, her hair is also an odd color of light purple.

"But you get to wear whatever kind of dress you want that's just simply darling." She steps back a few and looks to the ground in embarrassment at her clothes almost insecure. Now I understand. Her vocabulary, her hair, her eyes, and just her type of style means she was raised by what once was a Capitol family. "Miss what are you here for?" I ask quietly as she is still staring at the floor in embarrassment.

She flips her hand through her bangs and looks at me with a smile. "I'm here to start my first day of work!" She practically blows my eardrums out as she crosses her arms with a large smile upon her face. "You do realize you're late Miss..." I say while preparing to pull out an orange sheet of paper. "Claire Rebecca O'Neil." She says proudly, her eyes closed in satisfaction as she said her name. "Miss O'Neil." I begin writing the C in her name before she blurts out, "But I have a perfectly good reason to why I'm late!"

This intrigues me. I perk an eyebrow up in question. Claire sighs while crossing her arms and shifting her weight on one leg. She blows her purple bangs away from her electric blue eyes. "I was late because...because...I missed the train and I had to walk four blocks to get here." Her bottom lip quivers as if she was getting ready to cry. My adrenaline skyrockets, I can't make a new employee cry on my own first day. It'll make me look bad. I raise up hastily from my desk, placing my hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her. Oh my god, she was shaking. "Listen," I whisper in a low voice. "I'm not going mark you as late."

"_**REALLY?!**_" Her voice shatters my eardrums once again. I throw a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet, as I slowly look back to Jonathan's office. He's not looking from what I can tell. I return my gaze to the purple haired girl, wincing as my eardrums pop back to normal. "Yes, but you have to agree to read these on your own-" She squeezes my cheeks together again, I give her a confused glare. "Honestly this is my first day as well and I don't know what's going on right now." I rip my face out of her reach, placing the paper files in her hands, she clasps them against her chest. She looks down at them, proudly and fondly. "These are the forms. Read them. And I'm sure you'll have an instructor in the scrap department." I sigh out feeling exhausted before returning to the chair behind my desk.

Claire's standing in the middle of the room, a flustered blush coming across her face as she continues to look at me with her electric blue eyes, biting her bottom lip. I send her a confused look, wondering why she was still here. "Wha-"

"**WILL YOU SIT BY ME AT LUNCH?!**"

I lean back once again, taken back once again by her volume of voice and her sheer straight forwardness. "Um...what?" I ask, perking a brow up and gently smirking up at the new girl. She looked to the side, biting her lip even more. "It's just that I'm new here and I don't know anyone. A-and if you don't know anyone, I was wondering if you'd like to sit with me at lunch." She stutters embarrassed, looking at my face for any sign of disapproval. "Um..." I lightly laugh at the situation at hand, dropping a pen over and over again on the desk. Who asks a person like that? I can't deny her, she'd probably cry. "Yes?" I answer questioningly, earning a wide grin from her.

She jumps a little, waving her fists in excitement, I watch this odd display of joy as if I was watching a bear devour a deer: In horror and confusion. She crosses the room, standing me up so she can wrap her arms around me in a tight embrace. "We're going to be best friends." She promises, pressing her cheek against mine, hugging me tighter, constricting me of all oxygen. "Yeah, ok. Go to work, Claire." I push myself off the weird purple haired girl, she didn't even flinch at me in question. She paced over the door, humming and smiling, file in hand. "Buh-bye, best friend! I'll see you at lunch! Ta-ta!" She shouts, before slamming the door shut. I stare at the door in anticipation, waiting for her to bound back in at any moment. I was relieved when she didn't but still continued to stare at the door in shock of what had just happened. "She doesn't...even...know...my name..."

**~A/N~**

**I was 1000% sure that I was done with this story but, I needed a break from writing Limitless and When the Sky is No More. That and I was reading some of my own old, chapters I have for this story and I remembered how much I love Nim and April. They're my babies. I think I'll continue with this story, but I don't think I'll update it as much as Limitless or When the Sky is No More.**


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